SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Pheidole - provisional key to minor workers of all African species
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The Ants of Africa SUBFAMILY MYRMICINAE - Genus Pheidole - provisional key to minor workers of all African species |
| Genus Pheidole Introduction |
I have attempted to compile a key to those species for which I have sufficiently detailed descriptions and/or have illustrations.
Provisional key to workers of named species and separable forms
| ¤ | Status dubious | Guinea - guineensis |
| ¤ | Worker only - description inadequate; TL 1.6 mm; pale rufo-testaceous, head and gaster more red, overall shiny | South Africa - irritans |
| ¤ | Queen and male only known | Zaïre - neokohli |
| ¤ | Worker only, description dubious - pale yellow almost hairless; head quite large, near square, with eyes small and black; alitrunk narrow, domed anteriorly, no obvious propodeal spines | Senegal - pallidelutea |
| ¤ | West African & Congo Basin records dubious | Madagascar - picata |
| ¤ | Brief description of worker or soldier - TL 3.75 mm; colour rufo-piceus, gaster darker; metanotum strongly rugose, propodeal spines acute | Kenya - scabriuscula |
| 1 |  Minor
postpetiole narrow, barrel-shaped longer than wide; mandibles crossed
over when closed; anterior margin of clypeus extending forward to
overlap base of mandibles and medially weakly concave; eyes relatively
small set at mid-point of side of head; condyla bulbs not visible in
full face view; scapes surpass occiput by at least one-quarter of own
length; long-legged; with head smooth & shiny except for lateral
rugae; alitrunk quite strongly sculptured with reticulo-puncturations |
2 |
| -- | Minor with postpetiole wider than long; trapezoidal but variably dentate at widest point | 5 |
| . | rugaticeps-group - concinna, rugaticeps, tenuinodis & victoris | -- |
| 2 | TL at least 3 mm | 3 |
| -- | TL maximum 3.0 mm | 4 |
| 3 |  Minor
TL 3.5-4.3 mm; head narrower than long, frontal area wide and very
distinctly impressed, occiput rounded and narrowed; clypeus often weakly
carinate; mandibles with two apical teeth and 5-6 denticles; mandibles
very finely striate; scape surpasses occiput by more than a quarter of
its length; alitrunk impressed between the pronotum and mesonotum, with
transverse welt; metanotal groove deep, spines slightly longer than
one-third the propodeal dorsum; legs long; petiole narrow and elongate,
postpetiole about one-third longer than wide; rest of head smooth and
shiny other than irregular longitudinal rugae on the sides; alitrunk and
pedicel densely punctate but less so on the pronotum dorsum and pedicel
which are shiny; lateral propodeum striate; erect pilosity abundant and
long, yellowish; longer and denser on the head than on rugaticeps;
gaster and legs smooth; dull red with head the same colour as the
alitrunk |
Congo - concinna |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3-3.5 mm; head elongated, clypeus without a carina; propodeal spines
short, oblique & divergent; postpetiole wider than petiole,
subconical; head smooth other than lateral rugae; alitrunk finely
coriaceous; all over with numerous erect hairs; ferruginous-testaceous,
gaster darker |
Sahel zone - rugaticeps |
| 4 |  Minor
2.8-3.0 mm; head wider behind than in front, anterior margin of clypeus
shallowly emarginate, median area with a raised line; funiculus with
first segment as long as next two together; propodeum dorsum weakly
marginate; pilosity long and abundant; colour similar to punctulata
but head and alitrunk darker and more reddish-brown |
Southern Africa - tenuinodis |
| -- | Minor TL 2.3-3.0 mm; head oval widest in the middle, eyes very convex placed at mid-point; propodeal spines quite small; propodeum declivity oblique shorter than dorsum; head with longitudinal striae which do not extended back beyond the eyes; reddish-yellow, head darker behind, gaster brown, paler at base | Zimbabwe - victoris |
 |
Minor with postpetiole wider than long; trapezoidal but variably dentate at widest point | -- |
| 5 |  Minor
TL 1.8-2.3 mm; HW = HL, widest across the eyes; eyes fairly large
set in the anterior third of the sides; frontal carinae short,
frontal area quite large; clypeus feebly carinate; scapes just
surpassing the occiput; metanotal groove distinct, propodeal dorsum flat
with minute vertical teeth, declivity shorter than the dorsum;
postpetiole one-third wider than long, convex anteriorly, sides obtusely
angular, sometimes produced into short truncated cones; overall dark
brown, gaster darker and appendages lighter, mandibles pale
reddish-brown; erect pilosity yellowish longest and most abundant on the
gaster |
arnoldi-group - Zimbabwe - arnoldi |
| ¤ | Minor only described; TL 3.0-3.7 mm; head considerably wider than long and wider anteriorly; eyes quite prominent; mandible elongate, with two apical teeth and a crenulate inner margin; antennae slender; alitrunk robust with distinct metanotal groove, propodeal teeth small and sharp but subtending a raised carina on each side; postpetiole with angular sides; densely granulate, opaque, head with a few longitudinal rugae laterally, gaster with fine basal longitudinal striation; whole of body covered with numerous fine erect hairs; colour dull brown | Eritrea (Ethiopia) - clavata |
| -- | Minor with eyes set around the mid-point of the head | 6 |
| . | Minor with eyes set around the mid-point of the head | -- |
| 6 |  Minor
- alitrunk with low or no mesonotal welt; mandibles generally shorter,
external border straighter and more acutely angled at the end; denticles
coarser; gaster relatively shorter and wider |
33 |
| -- |  Minor
- alitrunk with raised transverse area on mesonotum - mandibles usually
with a long outer curved margin and numerous fine denticles OR with a
distinct pair of apical teeth subtended by fine denticles; gaster
relatively narrow |
7 |
| 7 | Minor with petiole from above straight-sided and quite narrow long; postpetiole variable but not hexagonal | 15 |
| -- | Minor with postpetiole from above hexagonal with lateral angles; minor with nuchal collar (?) | 8 |
| -- |  Minor;
TL 2.25 mm; with large distinctive propodeal spiracle and upturned short
spines; sculpturation restricted to spiculation of lateral mesonotum and
propodeum; yellow-brown gaster darker; mandibles smooth and quite bright
yellow |
West Africa & Congo Basin - Pheidole species E |
| . | . | -- |
| 8 | Head squarish to oval, scapes surpass the occiput but not by much | 9 |
| -- | Head similar but scapes surpass the occiput by about one-quarter of their length | 13 - capensis
group - capensis, cuitensis (possibly), rohani and sculpturata |
| 9 |  Minor
TL 3.7-4.0 mm; head fairly round, the posterior margin straight, angles
rounded; eyes large convex and placed in the middle of the sides;
clypeus feebly carinate, frontal area large and well defined, frontal
carinae straight reaching to about one-third point of head; scapes
surpassing occiput by about twice the apical width; pronotum convex with
posterior lateral angles produced into rather large cones, readily
visible in profile; propodeum dorsum twice as long as declivity, spines
very long and subvertical, feebly divergent; petiole with a long
pedicel; post-petiole four-fifths longer than high, the sides angular;
legs long; head and alitrunk densely reticulo-punctate, appearing
granular and giving a dull appearance; pedicel finely reticulate; legs
and apical two-thirds of gaster shiny; dark brown, gaster near black,
appendages yellowish-brown; pubescence and pilosity scanty |
East Africa - liengmei |
| -- | Minor head without transverse striation on occiput | 10 |
| . | spinulosa-group - njassae, schultzei, spinulosa and xocensis | -- |
| 10 | Minor TL 3.5-4 mm; propodeal spines as long as interbasal width; head and alitrunk generally finely punctate, gaster even more finely sculptured; most of head and body matt; colour dark red-brown, appendages and gaster blackish | Tanzania - njassae |
| -- | Minor TL no more than 3.0 mm | 11 |
| 11 |  Minor
TL 2.0-2.4 mm; head quadrate, slightly narrower anteriorly, eyes set at
mid-point, propodeum spines no more than pointed teeth; erect pilosity
very sparse; colour essentially yellowish-brown |
Southern Africa - spinulosa |
| -- | Soldier head with parallel sides | 12 |
| 12 |  Minor
TL 2.0-2.2 mm; head rectangular sides near straight; scapes just surpass
the occiput; colour yellowish-red, gaster, sides of head and scapes more
brown |
Southern Africa - schultzei |
| -- |  Minor
TL 2.3-2.6 mm; head more or less oval, slightly narrower posteriorly;
colour dark brown, appendages brownish-yellow |
Zimbabwe - xocensis |
|
Soldier
HL similar to if not < HW capensis group - capensis, cuitensis (possibly), rohani and sculpturata |
-- |
| 13 |  Minor
TL 2.5 mm; metanotal groove and transverse impression of mesonotum quite
deep; head very finely and longitudinally rugulose, vertex smooth and
shining; pronotum shining, rest of alitrunk reticulo-punctate and dull;
generally brownish-yellow with head more reddish |
Southern Africa - capensis also cuitensis |
| -- | Minor TL 2.2 mm; smaller than sculpturata, with shorter scapes; entirely reticulo-punctate including the gaster | north-east Africa & Saudi Arabia - katonae |
| -- | Minor TL at least 3.0 mm | 14 |
| 14 | Head essentially shiny | 14A |
| -- | Head densely spiculate sculptured | 14B |
| 14A |  Minor
TL 3.6 mm; dark brown, with appendages reddish |
. |
| . |  |
Angola & Congo - rohani |
| . |  TL
much smaller and less sculpturation on the head |
Angola & Congo - rohani pellax |
| 14B |  Tl
ca 3.5 mm; overall stocky; dark red brown, densely spiculate all over,
fading away on apex of gaster; spiculation overlaid by longitudinal
striation; head in profile relatively flattened with a pronounced
posterior border; in full face view, without mandibles near square, with
slightly convex sides and rounded corners to occipitum; clypeus with a
straight anterior border, medial carina and lateral rugae; two distinct
long forward directed hairs, one each side on median. Face with
longitudinal rugae overlayed on overall spiculation; rugae fading away
on vertex. Mandibles large, striated and with elongated apices. Scapes
not exceeding vertex by more than about one-third their length,
relatively thick, broadest apically. Funiculus segments beadlike, 2-8
about equal in size and as long as broad; club with segments 9 and 10
equal and 11 barely longer. Eyes quite large, convex and situated just
forward of mid-line of face. Mesonotum and propodeum with lateral
carinae forming a raised border running on to the spines. Spines
triangular about as long as propodeal declivity slightly upturned.
Petiole with divided apex. Postpetiole somewhat cuboid, lower than
petiole and quite small for genus. Erect hairs quite abundant but fine
and light coloured, especially abundant on antennae and tarsi giving
both a bristly appearance |
Ivory Coast & Cameroun - ingenita new status |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3.0 mm HL 3.8 mm; antennae long and slender, with funicular club
almost as long as the rest of the funiculus; pronotum bituberculate;
metanotal groove deep; mesonotum with weak lateral margination, which
continues onto the propodeum and into the spines; densely sculptured
overall, sides of head striate, clypeus weakly ridged and shiny; fronts
shiny; gaster mostly shiny although dull at the base; ferruginous brown,
gaster darker to pitch |
Pan-(sub-Saharan)Africa - sculpturata |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3.5-3.6 mm; head entirely matt, covered with large regular
reticulation, erect hairs slender, yellowish; clypeus carinate with
carina extended forward beyond clypeal margin |
Guinea - nimba |
|
Soldier postpetiole with blunt lateral processes | - |
| 15 | Minor with head more or less ovoid in full face view, with prominent convex eyes and long dentate mandibles, completely or nearly smooth and shiny | 24 |
| -- | Minor with head square-ovoid or elongate ovoid with strongly narrowed occiput | 16 |
| 16 | Minor with head distinctly longer than wide - ovoid in the true sense | 17 |
| -- | Minor with head width and length about the same, also occiput straight to weakly impressed OR head elongate with a narrow occiput or neck | 19 |
| . | - variolosa-group - akermani, aeberlii and variolosa | -- |
| 17 |  Minor
TL 2.6 mm; propodeal spines short and triangular; colour dark castaneous
brown, posterior of head, alitrunk and petiole redder |
South Africa - akermani |
| -- | Minor TL at least 3 mm; with rugose alitrunk | 18 |
| 18 |  Minor
TL 3.0 mm; alitrunk rugose, humeri with tubercules; propodeal spines
short; postpetiole laterally angular, with transverse striations; basal
segment of gaster striate-punctate; head and alitrunk reticulo-rugose
and subtly punctate dull, also base of gaster; front of head flat,
clypeus carinate, rugose, base of mandibles striate; pronotum with
tubercles, also mesonotum, dorsum of propodeum bicarinate, with acute
spines; dull ferruginous, appendages lighter |
Somalia - variolosa |
| -- |  Minor
3.2-3.3 mm; anterior margin of clypeus medially impressed; structure as
variolosa; colour brown, alitrunk reddish-brown, appendages
yellowish-brown - photographed specimen has a distinctive bristly scape
and funiculus |
Sahel zone - aeberlii |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3.5 mm; head oval almost twice as long as wide when the eyes are
ignored; occipital border with nuchal collar (?); clypeus smooth weakly
convex with a short medain carina; frontal carinae about one fifth
longer than they are apart; frontal notch weak and short; alitrunk
fairly elongate, mesonotum profile convex, propodeal spines upright,
fairly divergent and about as long as three-quarters their basal
interval; petiole with a long pedicel, summit entire; postpetiole about
one quarter longer than posterior width, laterally obtusely angled ;
most of head smooth and shiny, sides reticulo-punctate; alitrunk &
pedicel regularly reticulo-punctate, reduced on pronotum dorsum; gaster
smooth other than a few basal reticulations; l black, alitrunk sometimes
dorsally lighter, appendages brown, articulations and tarsi yellow brown |
Mali - andrieui (in buchholzi-group) |
| . | . | -- |
| 19 |  Minor
head square-ovoid, as narrow behind as in front; funiculi with a
bead-like appearance; postpetiole wider than long and rounded laterally |
20 |
| -- |  Minor
head an elongate oval; funiculi segments with a rectangular appearance;
postpetiole large especially wide posteriorly |
21 |
| . | buchholzi-group (part) - aspera, buchholzi and hewitti - scape surpasses occiput by about one-third ? | -- |
| 20 | 
TL 2.5 mm; mandibles feebly striate on the sides; scape surpasses
occiput by about one-third of its length; promesonotum with elongate
convex profile slightly interrupted by a small lateral tubercle on the
mesonotum; propodeum with dorsum and declivity forming an obtuse angle
with a small raised tooth; dark brown, gaster slightly lighter,
mandibles & tarsi brownish ochreous, antennae & legs pale brown |
South Africa - hewitti |
| -- | Minor TL 3.7-3.8 mm; head longer than wide; scape surpassing the occiput; colour reddish or lighter yellowish | West Africa & Congo Basin - buchholzi |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3.0 mm; HW = HL, scapes surpass occiput by about one-third their
length, funiculus with all segments bead-like; mandibles longitudinally
striate at the base, clypeus weakly striate, middle of head more or less
smooth; most of alitrunk and gaster shiny, propodeum transversely
rugose; short, acute spines directed upwards; pilosity quite abundant;
head blackish-brown, alitrunk red brown, rest yellowish-brown |
. |
| . | |
South Africa - aspera |
| . | speculifera-group - aspera, kohli, occipitalis, speculifera and vanderveldi - overall elongate species, with head an elongate oval, with long mandibles | -- |
| 21 | Dull in appearance | 22 |
| -- | Shiny | 23 |
| 22 |  Minor
- TL 3.42 mm, HL 0.86, HW 0.65, SL 1.17, PW 0.47; clypeus with a fine
median carina; petiole with a low node flattened dorsally in profile;
postpetiole with a domed profile and ovoid in dorsal view; sculpturation
only of spiculation on the propodeum, lateral mesonotum and the petiole;
colour yellow-orange, shiny, with a transparent cuticle. |
Pan-African - speculifera |
| -- | Minor TL 3.9-4 mm; similar to speculifera but colour dark brown/black, legs paler, tarsi and funiculus rusty red | Southern Africa - vanderveldi |
| 23 |  Minor
TL 3.5-4 mm; red-brown, antennae and legs darker |
Kenya & Zaïre - kohli |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3-4 mm; TL 7.5-8.0 mm; HL slightly greater than HW; sides of head
feebly arcuate; sparse erect hairs, no pubescence; head entirely shiny;
head and alitrunk brownish-red, gaster brown |
West Africa - occipitalis |
| . |
Minors with head more or less ovoid in full face view, with prominent convex eyes and long dentate mandibles, completely or nearly smooth and shiny | -- |
| 24 | Minors with occiput wide and medially straight teneriffana group - areniphila, caffra, mayri, pusilla, sinaitica, teneriffana, Cameroon 73 - | 25 |
| -- | Minors with head in full face view almost purely ovoid ; with distinctive raised frontal carinae, exposing the condylar bulbs; base of scape with triangular widening - prelli-group - dea, prelli, pulchella | 30 |
| 25 | Minor propodeal spines short and sharp | 26 |
| -- | Minors with propodeal spines long and (mostly) relatively blunt apically | 29 |
| 26 | Head with sides near parallel until past the eyes | 27 |
| -- | Head widest at level of the eyes, widening from the clypeal margin backwards to that point | 28 |
| 27 |  TL
ca 3 mm; antennal scapes surpassing occiput by about half their length;
distinctive longitudinal carina on gena forward of the eye; dark
reddish-brown, with variably lighter appendages. Probably identical with
pusilla |
Cameroun - species Cameroon 73 |
| -- |  Minor
TL 2.4 mm; 4.23 mm; head slightly bigger than the gaster; alitrunk
narrow; pronotum dorsum subtly granulated; may well be synonymous with
teneriffana; head variable brown, alitrunk light
yellowish-brown, gaster chestnut with lighter apex |
Madeira - pusilla |
| 28 |  Minor
TL 2.8 mm; head large relative to the alitrunk; with distinct groove
between pro-and mesonotum; postpetiole wider than long; generally
brown-yellow, gaster darker |
North African tramp - teneriffana |
| -- |  Minor
TL 2.8-3 mm; colour brownish-red or more yellow, gaster darker;
underside of head with gular hairs |
Egypt - sinaitica |
| 29 |  Minor
TL ca 3 mm; head slightly long than wide; eyes very convex and set about
four fifths of the length from the anterior of the head; scapes surpass
occiput by a distance equal to about half the length of the distance
between the rear of the eye and the occiput; legs long; alitrunk and
antennae red-brown, head dull brown or blackish brown; gaster near
black, mandibles and legs yellowish-brown; |
Southern & Eastern African - caffra |
| -- |  TL
2.7 mm; head longer than wide (longer than abyssinica [caffra]);
more narrowed behind, with distinct posterior border (nuchal collar?);
scape surpasses occiput by two-fifths of its length; generally smooth
but with oblique striations on the genae; propodeum reticulate; almost
black, mandibles yellowish, appendages reddish |
bayeri |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3.08, HL 0.75, HW 0.56, SL 0.89, PW 0.42; with unusually large eyes;
head, pronotum and gaster unsculptured; propodeal spines thick and
blunt; erect pilosity generally less abundant and distinctly shorter;
colour dark red-brown, gaster and head near black |
. |
| . |  |
West Africa - mayri |
| -- | Minor TL 2.3-2.5 mm;
sides of head more convex in full face view; scape surpasses occiput by
about one-third its length; postpetiole with globular profile; fairly
shiny but lightly and finely reticulate all over; reddish yellow, head
brownish-yellow, gaster yellowish |
southern Africa - areniphila |
| . |
Minors with head ovoid in full face view, with distinctive raised frontal carinae, exposing the condylar bulbs; base of scape with triangular widening | -- |
| 30 | Minor with short propodeal spines | 31 |
| -- | Minor with long curved propodeal spines | 32 |
| 31 |  Minor
- TL 2.5 mm; mandibles striated and pubescent; anterior border entirely
denticulate. Head an eighth longer than wide, slightly narrowed
posteriorly, rectangular with a somewhat distinct posterior border,
convex. Clypeus without carinae. Frontal carinae parallel, reaching
about the midpoint but not forming a distinct scrobe; even so, between
the carinae and the first rugae of the genae the antennal socket is
distinctly raised in a transverse arc, prolonged slightly forward. Eyes
convex slightly forward of the midpoint. Scape surpassing the occiput by
about one-third its length. Thorax as in the soldier but more elongated,
with less pronounced structures; propodeal dorsum one-third longer than
wide; spines twice as long as the basal separation; declivity short.
Postpetiole as long as wide; rest as soldier. Head quite shiny, finely
and irregularly reticulate, with oblique rugae between the eyes and the
frontal carinae, arcing into the anterior sockets. Thorax densely
reticulo-punctate and almost matte, except on the pronotum, where the
dorsum is near smooth. Petiole node reticulate; rest shiny. Pilosity and
pubescence as in the soldier. Overall yellow-rust; head, antennae and
vague bands on the gaster brownish. |
East Africa - prelli |
| -- | West Africa (?) & Congo Basin | n sp close to prelli Gabon 75 |
| 32 |  Minor
TL 3-3.5 mm; overall shiny with reduced sculpturation, erect hairs
coarse and relatively sparse; head in full face view near circular;
propodeal spines long; colour deep piceous, almost black |
West Africa & Congo Basin - (species D) dea |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3-3.5 mm. Head nearly circular, scarcely longer than broad, without
posterior corners, occipital border strongly marginate. Mandibles large,
their apical borders long and finely denticulate, with two larger
terminal teeth. Clypeus convex, with rounded, entire anterior border.
Eyes just in front of the middle of the head, moderately large and
convex. Antennae slender, scapes extending about two-fifths their length
beyond the occipital border. Thorax slender, the pronotum rather
depressed above, bluntly tuberculate on the sides near the middle.
Mesonotum long and sloping, with a broad transverse impression in front
and a transverse swelling behind it. Metanotal constriction deep and
broad. Propodeum as broad as long, with subequal base and declivity, not
concave in the middle as in the soldier. Spines longer, as long as the
base and more strongly curved backward. Petiole similar to that of the
soldier, but with a lower, blunter node. Postpetiole scarcely twice as
broad as the petiole, longer than broad, rounded above and on the sides.
Gaster distinctly smaller than the head. Legs slender. Overall shining;
finely reticulate; mandibles finely and densely striate, lustrous;
gaster more shining than the head and thorax; mesonotum and propodeum
and ventral and lateral portions of the petiole and postpetiole
subopaque, densely punctate. Pilosity much like that of the soldier,
sparser on the body but more abundant on the legs. Colour yellowish red,
or reddish yellow, with paler legs and brown gaster, the latter in most
specimens yellowish at the base. |
Congo Basin - pulchella |
|
Minor - alitrunk with low or no mesonotal welt; mandibles generally shorter, external border straighter and more acutely angled at the end; denticles coarser; gaster relatively shorter and wider | -- |
| 33 | Minor ?? head square | 34 |
| -- | Minor head more ovoid with convex sides | 41 |
| 34 | Minor head square; with relatively swollen three-segmented club | 35 |
| -- | Minor head square; with relatively slender three-segmented club | 39 |
| . | termitophila-group - bequaerti, miniscula, nigritella, schoutedeni, strator & termitophila | -- |
| 35 | Colour very dark to black | 36 |
| -- | Colour other than black | 37 |
| 36 | Minor bequaerti
TL 1.9 mm; mandibles striate, puncturate at the extremities; head
square, occiput lightly impressed, scape just surpassing the occiput,
eyes large, clearly elongate, longer than their distance from the
anterior of the head, set in the anterior third, funiculi with middle
segments wider than long; promesonotum strongly convex; propodeum with
horizontal dorsum, almost as wide as long, with the spines short about
one third of the basal separation, subvertical; postpetiole not much
wider than the petiole; head, alitrunk and pedicel entirely matt and
densely reticulo-punctate, head with fairly strong lateral rugae; gaster
anteriorly reticulate and subopaque, smooth posteriorly as are the legs;
head dark brown, rest lighter brown, appendages and mandibles
reddish brown |
Zaïre - bequaerti |
| -- |  Minor
nigritella TL 2.0-2.1; black, very shiny, puncturation fine
and serrated, appendages brown. Head slightly longer than wide, very
rounded posteriorly; occiput is straight, bordered and wide. Antennae
slender, in the funiculus segments 2 and 3 are equal, three times longer
than wide, segment 4 twice as long as wide. Prothorax as convex as the
soldier; propodeum puncturate except on anterior third. Petiole slender,
node less elevated than that of the soldier. Postpetiole as the soldier.
All body parts are more elongated than those of the other minute Pheidole
in the termitophila group |
Guinea & Ghana- nigritella |
| 37 |  Minor
TL 1.7 mm; head a little longer than wide, with fine puncturations;
occiput concave, wide and not bordered; second segment of antennal club
scarcely longer than wide; propodeal spines reduced to short teeth;
postpetiole globular; body yellow-brown, very shiny, petiole and
appendages testaceous. |
Guinea - miniscula |
| -- | Minor TL > 1.7 mm | 38 |
| 38 |  Minor
TL 1.7-1.8 mm; sides of head with weak but visible puncturation; colour
generally yellow-brown, appendages lighter |
Sahel zone - termitophila |
| -- |  Minor
TL 1.7-1.8 mm; yellow brown, appendages darker |
Eastern Africa - strator |
|
|
Minor
head square; with relatively slender three-segmented club; postpetiole
weakly conical laterally - excellens-group - excellens (species F995), mylognatha, retronitens, weissi, species T4 & species T5 |
-- |
| 39 | Minor at least 3.0 mm | 39A |
| -- | Minor TL < 3.0 mm | 40 |
| 39A |  Minor
TL 3.8 mm; colour red-brown, dull due to dense puncturation and abundant
covering of moderately long, semi-prone, fine hairs. |
Pan-African - excellens (species F995) |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3.0 mm; scape longer; mostly dark red-brown, head reddish with a
frontal yellowish-red band, tibiae and scapes brown-yellow, tarsi &
funiculi yellowish |
. |
| . |  |
Congo Basin & Nigeria - weissi |
| 40 |  Minor
TL 2 mm; head a little longer than broad, as broad in front as behind,
with feebly convex sides and a feebly concave posterior border; eyes
rather convex, just in front of the middle of the sides; mandibles with
the whole apical border very finely denticulate; clypeus convex, its
anterior border entire, broadly rounded; scapes extending fully
one-fourth their length beyond the posterior border of the head;
alitrunk and petiole very similar to those of the soldier but the
mesonotum more sloping and with much feebler transverse convexity;
postpetiole only one and one-half times as broad as the petiole, its
sides produced as short angles or conules; shining; mandibles finely and
indistinctly striate; clypeus and cheeks longitudinally rugulose; area
between the frontal carinae and the eyes reticulate, remainder of head
very smooth and shining; pronotum smooth and shining above, reticulate
on the sides; mesonotum and propodeum subopaque, densely punctate;
petiole and post-petiole more finely punctate, the nodes above smooth
and shining like the gaster and legs; pilosity and color much as in the
soldier, but the fine appressed hairs on the scapes as abundant as on
the legs; rich castaneous brown; gaster, except the base of the first
segment, darker, almost black; legs and funiculi a little more reddish,
the femora infuscated in the middle. |
Zaïre - mylognatha |
| -- |  Minor
TL 2.0 mm; scape just surpasses the occiput; propodeal spines
short, near-vertical; postpetiole node about twice as wide as petiole,
slightly longer than wide; dull yellow, with the legs and antennae
lighter and the mid-gaster brownish. |
Zaïre & Nigeria - schoutedeni |
|
Minor ?? | -- |
| 41 |  Minor
with short globular postpetiole; gaster small and narrow (??) |
42 |
| -- | 
Minor with relatively elongate postpetiole |
43 |
| 42 |  Minor
TL 2.7 to 3 mm; head subrectangular, as broad in front as behind, with
straight, subparallel sides, rounded posterior corners and nearly
straight posterior border; eyes convex, at the middle of the sides;
mandibles rather large, deflected at the tip, with denticulate apical
borders and two larger terminal teeth; clypeus distinctly carinate, with
the anterior border very feebly sinuate in the middle; antennal scapes
extending one-third their length beyond the posterior corners of the
head; promesonotum profile convex; propodeal dorsum a little longer than
the declivity; spines slender, acute, erect, about half as long as their
interval; petiole slender, twice as long as broad, scarcely broader
behind than in front, with the sides only very faintly concave; node
transverse, its border distinctly notched in the middle; postpetiole
twice as broad as the petiole, as long as broad, subglobose, not toothed
on the ventral side; gaster about as large as the head; shining;
mandibles subopaque, finely striatopunctate; sides of head delicately
longitudinally rugulose and reticulate; alitrunk, petiole, and
postpetiole finely and densely punctate, opaque; upper surface of
pronotum and postpetiole smooth and shining; gaster and legs shining,
sparsely punctate; erect hairs fine yellowish; scapes, like the legs,
with numerous oblique hairs; brown; head darker above and behind;
gaster, except the edges of the segments, middle portions of legs, fore
coxae, and usually also the pronotum and upper surfaces of the petiolar
nodes, darker than the posterior portion of the thorax. |
Zaïre - saxicola |
| -- |  Minor
TL 1.8-2.0 mm; propodeal spines minute; colour mahogany red, extremities
more brown, mandibles with distinctive yellow |
Ethiopia & Central African Republic - philippi |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3.5 mm; head oval; eyes [unusually large] set at the mid-point and
occiput narrower, with a weak transverse crest (?nuchal collar); scape
surpasses occiput by about one-third its length; generally shiny with a
few rugae on the genea and the mesonotum and propodeum partly
reticulate; colour black, anterior of head and appendages
lighter red-brown to yellow-brown |
Zaïre - retronitens |
| - | Minor with relatively elongate postpetiole | -- |
| 43 | Minor
postpetiole profile globular, in dorsal view widest part almost the
posterior margin, with smoothly rounded sides as wide as long; head
almost square, with distinctly impressed frontal notch; scapes
quite slender and funiculus with narrow segments |
44 |
| -- |
Minor postpetiole elongate trapezoidal but with no more than weak
lateral prominences, ventrally concave, giving profile a somewhat
globular appearance |
50 |
| - | crassinoda-group - aurivilli, costauriensis, crassinoda, escherichii, impressifrons, melancholica & punctulata | -- |
| 44 |  Minor
TL 4.36 mm (original description gives a smaller size); postpetiole
exceptionally large and bulbous both dorsally and laterally; clypeus
medially carinate, shallowly emarginate anteriorly; longitudinal rugae
on the genae; petiole produced laterally and the anterior of the
peduncle; head, pronotum and gaster; mesonotum, propodeum and pedicel
spiculate; erect hairs sparse and relatively short; head and alitrunk
brown/dark red-brown, gaster darker to black, appendages lighter with
tarsi and antennal clubs brown |
. |
| . |  |
West Africa - costauriensis |
| -- | Postpetiole with relatively shallow profile | 45 |
| 45 |  Minor
TL 4 mm; base colour piceous (pitch black), appendages more reddish;
head ovate, genae with longitudinal rugae, mandibles striate; propodeum
dorsum sulcate, spines triangular and obtuse |
. |
| . |  |
Eastern & Southern Africa - crassinoda |
| -- | Minors TL < 4mm | 46 |
| 46 | Minors TL 2.5-3.0 mm | 47 |
| -- | Minors TL < 2.5 mm | 49 |
| 47 | Minor TL 3.0 mm; scapes surpass occiput by about two-fifths their length; funiculus segments generally longer than wide; whole of body and tibiae with long pilosity; brown with reddish appendages. | West Africa & Congo Basin - aurivillii |
| -- | Scapes surpass occiput by no more than one-third their own length | 48 |
| 48 |  Minor
TL 2.7-3.0 mm; mostly smooth and relatively shiny, propodeum dull and
reticulate; variable brown to yellowish-brown |
Pan-African - punctulata |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3.2 mm; like punctulata but darker & a little larger;
sides of head more strongly striated, frontal area more wider and more
angular behind; pronotum with transverse raised dark area; propodeum and
sides of mesonotum more strongly reticulate; generally brownish to
reddish-brown |
Southern Africa - rotundata |
| -- |  Minor
TL 3 mm; head longer and more rounded posteriorly; dorsum of alitrunk
more strongly sculptured; propodeum longer with stronger spines; black
or very dark brown, appendages and mandibles brownish. |
West Africa - melancholica |
| 49 |  Minor
TL 2.43 mm, HL 0.68, HW 0.62, SL 0.72, PW 0.39 Colour red-brown, gaster
darker, appendages lighter. Alitrunk of both morphs almost all over
spiculate, fainter on the dorsal and lateral pronotum. |
South Africa & West Africa - impressifrons |
|
Minor
postpetiole elongate trapezoidal but with no more than weak lateral
prominences, ventrally concave, giving profile a somewhat globular
appearance megacephala-group - albidula, corticola, jordanica, maufei, megacephala, mentita, minima, nigeriensis (species B), nkomoana (species E), pallidula, picata, rotundata, squalida, tricarinata, and species A |
-- |
| 50 |  Minor
with alitrunk profile smoothly domed, as is propodeal profile, propodeal
spines reduced to sharp denticles |
51 |
| -- |  Minor
with alitrunk profile rather flatter; propodeal spines generally fairly
well developed and sharp |
56 |
| - | mandibles with two apical teeth and a number of denticles; minima-subgroup - corticicola, decarinata, minima, nigeriensis (species B), tricarinata, and species A | -- |
| 51 | Minor; head more or less rectangular with rounded occipital angles | 52 |
| -- | Minor head ovoid with highly rounded occipital angles | 53 |
| 52 | Soldier only described | Guinea - tricarinata |
| -- |  Minor
TL 1.9 mm; dorsum of head and entire alitrunk densely spiculate; erect
hairs moderately abundant; colour orange, gaster very dark brown. |
West Africa (& Kenya?) - species A |
| -- | Minor TL 2.5 mm; head oval-rectangular, mandibles dentate, striate near the base; clypeus without a carina, feebly emarginate; mesonotum with two small ridges behind; propodeum subdentate; sculpturation limited to anterior striations on head and a few striations and reticulations on lateral propodeum (minor similar); erect pilosity yellowish sparse on body and absent from tibiae and scapes; colour brownish-yellow, legs and antennae dirty yellow | South Africa - kitschneri |
| 53 | Minor with scape surpassing occiput by no more than one-fifth its length | 54 |
| -- | Minor with scape surpassing occiput by more than one-fifth its length; metanotal groove distinct on sides of alitrunk | 55 |
| 54 |  Minor
TL 1.56 mm; short and stocky overall, darker than soldier, legs and
funiculi golden-yellow; shiny except densely spiculate lateral alitrunk
and propodeum; head in full-face very relatively square, eyes fairly
flat, fine nuchal collar; propodeal spines very short but sharp [no
original description] |
. |
| . | |
West Africa (species B) nigeriensis |
| -- |  Minor
TL 2.0 mm; head rectangular slightly longer than wide, posterior angles
very rounded, occiptal border straight and weakly impressed (?); eyes
set at mid-length and about one-quarter the length of the head; scape
surpasses occiput by about one-fifth its length, segmenst 4-6 of
funiculus wider than long, club with apical segment as long as two
preceding together; promesonotum smoothly arcuate; propodeum with
rectangular dorsum, longer than wide, almost flat and sub-bordered.
angles dentate; head, pedicel and gaster, blackish brown; alitrunk and
appendages pale reddish brown |
Sahel zone - decarinata |
| 55 |  Minor
TL 2.3 mm; eyes occupy almost all the second quarter of the sides of the
head; frontal area wide and rounded posteriorly; scape surpasses occiput
by just under one-third its length; propodeal spines short but thick and
about as long as two-thirds the basal interval; smooth and shiny, sides
of mesonotum, propodeum and base of petiole reticulate; colour
yellow-red to dull brown-red, anterior of head brown-black; with
abundant long erect pilosity all over |
West Africa & Congo Basin - corticicola |
| -- |  Minor
TL 1.6-1.7 mm colour red-yellow or brown-yellow |
West Africa & Congo Basin - minima |
|
Minor
TL usually > 2.0 mm megacephala-subgroup - albidula, foreli, jordanica, maufei, megacephala, mentita, nkomoana (species E), pallidula, rotundata, squalida, and (unseparable beyond this point) picata picata (may be only known from Madagascar) |
-- |
| 56 | Relatively elongated and slender form with narrow ovoid heads and long appendages | 57 |
| -- |  Shorter
and less elongated shorter heads and appendages |
58 |
| 57 |  Minor
TL 2.6-3.0 mm; postpetiole with distinctive pyriform shape; head and
alitrunk dull with fairly close reticulation, on head latter overlaid
with coarse rugose reticulation, middle of vertex shiny; pilosity
yellowish, pubescence sparse to nil on body, long oblique on appendages;
colour dark yellowish-brown to brownish-red |
Zimbabwe - maufei |
| -- |  Minor
TL 1.8-2.2 mm; head narrowed and convex behind with indistinct posterior
border; eyes very convex; scape surpasses occiput by about one-third its
length; promesonotum weakly convex, with an indistinct promesonotal
suture; propodeum dorsum twice as long as declivity; petiole as whole
insect elongated relative to megacephala |
West Africa - nkomoana |
| -- |  Minor
TL 2 mm; less elongated; the illustrated specimens were associated with
soldiers and are darker than the type description of generally very
pale; most of body pale rust yellow, head and scape darker, posterior of
gaster and most of legs whitish |
Cameroun & Zaïre - albidula |
| Generally shorter and less elongated | -- | |
| 58 |  Minor
TL 2-2.3 mm; head a long oval longer than wide; mesonotum with two
transverse ridges; antennal insertions with a distinct narrow margin;
scapes surpass occiput by about two-fifths their length; narrow nuchal
collar present; brown-yellow, head and hindleg brown, gaster darker;
somewhat similar to aurivilli |
Ethiopia - escherichii |
| -- | HW = HL, nuchal collar absent | 59 |
| 59 |  Minor
with shallowly convex propodeum profile and quite short sharp spines;
head relatively square not very narrowed posteriorly, also relatively
shallow and flat in profile |
60 |
| -- |  Minor
head with domed profile and more convex eyes; propodeal profile flat or
only weakly convex |
61 |
| 60 | Minor
TL ca 2.5 mm; shiny, with only sculpturation on mesonotum, propodeum and
petiole, all of which are densely spiculate; red-brown, gaster darker,
appendages lighter. |
Pan-African tramp - megacephala |
| -- |  Head
much paler; legs much longer and distinct groove between pro-and
mesonotum (probably not from sub-Saharan) |
North Africa & Sudan - jordanica |
|
Head with domed profile and more convex eyes; propodeal profile flat or only weakly convex | -- |
| 61 | Minor TL > 3 mm | 62 |
| -- | Minor TL < 3 mm | 63 |
| 62 |  Minor
TL 2.2 mm; head ovoid narrower in front, semi-circular occiput; front
area an isoceles triangle extending quite far back between the frontal
carinae; eyes set about the mid-point; scape surpassing occiput by about
one-third its length; promesonotum profile a low regular curve, from
above lozenge-shaped with strongly rounded sides; propodeum dorsum flat
with anteriorly oblique slope out of the metanotal groove, declivity
concave only one-quarter the length of the dorsum, spines as long as
two-thirds their interval and often slightly curved anteriorly;
mesonotum punctuate as in a powder; abundant long fine pilosity; clear
brownish yellow, head darker, mandibles antennae and legs yellow; gaster
dirty yellow in front passing to brownish-black behind |
Congo - squalida |
| -- |  Minor
TL 1.7-2.7 mm; dull yellow-fuscous, head and gaster more fuscous
(probably not from sub-Saharan Africa) |
North Africa - pallidula |
| 63 | Minor TL 3.0-3.3 mm; pro-mesonotum separated by distinct suture; metanotal groove deep; propodeal spines divergent and raised, declivity vertical shorter than dorsum; gaster narrow, smooth at the base; head superficially puncturate, genae with rugae, whole of alitrunk apart from pronotum dorsum densely puncturate and matt; colour reddish brown, postpetiole and gaster brownish black, extremities lighter yellowish or rust | Guinea - mentita |
| -- | Minor TL 2.8-3.0 mm; shining, no pro-mesonotal suture; mesothorax and propodeum lightly rugo-reticulate; colour dark brown to piceous, appendages lighter | South Africa - foreli |
 |
MYRMICINAE Introduction | © 2007, 2008 - Brian Taylor CBiol
FIBiol FRES 11, Grazingfield, Wilford, Nottingham, NG11 7FN, U.K. |
href="pheidole_minors_key.htm"